Lonchocarpus heptaphyllus
Fabaceae FAMILY

Lonchocarpus heptaphyllus

Lonchocarpus heptaphyllus

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant is poisonous and has been used as a fish poison[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 348 Title Medicinal Plants of the Guianas Publication Author DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. Website http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html Publisher Smithsonian Museum Year 0 ISBN Description A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region ].

Botanical Description

Lonchocarpus heptaphyllus is an evergreen tree with a spreading, open crown; it can grow from 5 - 20 metres tall. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 20cm in diameter; free of buttresses but sometimes branched from fairly low down[ 333 Title Tree Species of Panama Publication Author Website http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09. , 422 Title Fruits of the Guianan Flora Publication Author van Roosmalen. M.G.M. Publisher Institute of Systematic Boyany, Utrecht University; Netherlands. Year 1985 ISBN 90-9000988-4 Description Terse descriptions of over 1,700 species from the Guianas that bear fruits - not necessarily edible! Often mentions if the fruit is edible, plus gives brief description of habit and habitat. , 447 Title Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Publication Author Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H. Publisher USDA, Forest Service; Washington. Year 1964 ISBN Description Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species. , 510 Title Trees of Costa Rica's Pacific Slope Publication Author Website http://www.cds.ed.cr/teachers/harmon/page1.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Information on over 80 species of tree from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. ]. The tree tends to be stunted, bent and twisted when growing along the coast, but is much taller, with a straight bole, when growing in woodland. Plants are sometimes briefly deciduous[ 510 Title Trees of Costa Rica's Pacific Slope Publication Author Website http://www.cds.ed.cr/teachers/harmon/page1.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Information on over 80 species of tree from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. ]. The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of timber and fuel. It is grown as an ornamental in Florida and Cuba[ 447 Title Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Publication Author Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H. Publisher USDA, Forest Service; Washington. Year 1964 ISBN Description Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical
Native RangeS. America - Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Panama to southern Mexico; Caribbean - Trinidad to Cuba.
HabitatA subcanopy or understorey tree is wet or very humid forests at low or medium elevations[ 333 Title Tree Species of Panama Publication Author Website http://ctfs.arnarb.harvard.edu/webatlas/mainframe.php?order=s Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Factsheets on all the tree and shrub species of Panama, giving identification guide, brief guide to the species and some uses. A vast, but rather incomplete work as of 15/07/09. , 510 Title Trees of Costa Rica's Pacific Slope Publication Author Website http://www.cds.ed.cr/teachers/harmon/page1.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Information on over 80 species of tree from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. ]. Along the edges of floodplains of rivers and estuaries; favouring sandy and peaty soils[ 625 Title Brazilian Trees. Volume 3. Publication Author Lorenzi. H. Publisher Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. Year 2009 ISBN 85-86714-34-4 Description Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best. ].